


Coming Back to Holby

by mandyb1961



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 04:00:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18731197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandyb1961/pseuds/mandyb1961
Summary: set roughly six years after Alex had left Holby





	Coming Back to Holby

**Author's Note:**

> Its partly written in Alex's POV, I hope its not too confusing, as i've not printed it out to check any mistakes, and it was going to be a longer story but felt it should end where it ends, i might go back to the orginal and post that one.

I took a deep breath, fiddling with a ring on my left hand was it really over six years ago was last at Holby City Hospital. I had enough time to wonder if it had been a good idea to do that fateful shift, did I regret it the simple answer was maybe. If I hadn't pushed Bernie into a corner, and taken it slowly would we still be together, had I not been impatient for answers I never would have gone to the Dunn family home. Yet here I was due to do some locumning in again, but this time working with Jac Naylor and I'd probably run into Serena at some point.

 

Alex took a long drag on her cigarette, she'd learned to a mutual good and reliable friend, she or indirectly had paid for her one-night drunken stand with a certain Junior Doctor Leahanne Faulkner would get her revenge. 

When Bernie had called her that December morning out of the blue, they had got in touch due to Bernie needing some advice on an up and coming operation she had to do, anyway back to the reason behind Bernie's telephone call. she went on to say that her relationship with Serena was over and had gone back to Nairobi and it was because although Bernie could forgive Serena for her brief affair with that bloody woman Faulkner Serena couldn't forgive herself. 

She was still standing in the entrance when she was slightly bumped into by a young man, who without looking back muttered an apology. He looked and even sounded familiar even from the back, "Shit, Cameron", oh she thought to herself the last time she spoke to Bernie she'd mentioned he'd come back here, the had met up but not at the hospital.

Alex gave herself a little smile when she remembered getting another phone call totally out of the blue from Bernie asking how she was and where she was working now. Alex said she'd left the UK not long after them parting, and was now working at a teaching training hospital in Tanzania. 

They'd agreed to have a drink at a bar there, rather have potential prying eyes in Nairobi, although it wasn't an ideal place to meet it was still slightly preferable. The meeting went well, and soon it was As though they'd never really been apart. They continued to meet up and then Bernie told her she felt she'd done for the trauma unit. Was heading back to the UK to go into semi-retirement, and Connie Beecham had offered her a part-time position as co-lead in Holby trauma unit, and it felt it was time to go home for good. 

When she told me all this I tentatively asked a question I was dreading the answer if I was being honest to myself, but I knew I had to ask it. To either confirm we were always' going to be destined to be just good friends or, dare I hope something more. So here goes everything or potentially nothing. "are you going to give it another go" Bernie looked puzzled then it dawned on her. 

I can still recall the pause which seemed to go on for days rather than minutes, I stood up because I really didn't want to be rejected again, so as I got up, I felt Bernie's hands in mine gently tugging me to sit down. 

I couldn't I just wanted to go, I tugged at our hands but she held on tighter and didn't want to let go. 

"Alex please sit down". I reluctantly sat down, I couldn't dare look at her.

" Alex listen to me, Alex". 

I continued to look passed her starring at the wall over her shoulder. She gently squeezed my hands "Alex, please look. at me," I shook my head. My thoughts took me back to the last time I had to let her go at Holby, telling her to did what she really wanted, she had and it wasn't me it was Serena Wendy Campbell.

She let go of one of my hands and placed in on my cheek and wiped away some tears I hadn't realised I was crying. "Alexandra Mary Dawson," oh great I thought she was coming over Major Wolfe on me and it was the Major that was going to say it was or had been fun catching up but, but here it comes. I looked at her, she was also crying, " Alex, yes a part of me still loves her and Jason, but I love you more. Maybe I always did look let's go somewhere we can really talk. please. "

She looked at me giving me a smile which gave me a hint of a mixture, hope, and dread in equal measures. We let go of our hands and walked to ex-officers club we'd found by accident, which was jointly run by the Brits and the Yanks. We'd eaten there several times, and we could tentatively touch each other's hand at the dinner table. We still had to be careful because of the staff being recruited locally but we could still steal the odd smile and squeeze knees under the table. 

We didn’t say much as we walked to the club. 

We booked in and sat down and ordered some stronger drinks, daring each other to speak in the end it was me. "Bern I get it you want to go home, you've done all you can here, and your back on good terms with your family, and you've got another one to think about now."

 This time it was her turn to look puzzled, "Oh, I'm not part of Serena 's family," I started to say something and she put up her hand to stop me, she continued. "I thought I was but she had made it clear I wasn’t when I thought we were going back here to Nairobi as planned and co-run the trauma unit, but it didn’t work out that way. When I left we vowed to be together for eternity. Then next thing I know is I get a wedding invitation, Jason's. Because I wanted to surprise her I didn’t reply to her phone calls. Only for me to have the surprise she’d been shagging a bloody F1, I wanted to forgive her, told her as much but it wasn't enough. She couldn't see me being or doing anything domestic, I mean for god sake we hadn't met as we had on the battlefield so at the reception, we agreed that did we did love each other but. But we couldn't be together, which is why I came back to Nairobi without her, I admit I was being selfish in wanting her to give up Holby, but that was the plan but I or we hadn't factored in Jason becoming a dad. we or should I say Serena couldn't see me or is doing domestic things like putting out the bins, or wearing slippers." 

 I tried I seriously tried not to laugh out loud at that last bit, but as I looked into her eyes I could see a mixture of w.t.f., then we had the same mutual recollection of her balling out some squaddie about the mess the kitchen bins were and she was wearing some godawful fluffy bunny slippers her ex-mother in law had bought her. We both couldn't keep it in any longer and let out the loudest laughs we could, ignoring the stares we got. 

 "What I'm trying to say is yes, a part of me will always love her even after her affair with an F1, but she added Jason thought I'd resent giving up my dream job despite my wanting to." When she said F1 I felt sick in my stomach, surely no it couldn't be I didn't want to ask but I knew I had to. Because I already knew the reply to my question.

I dreaded asking her this but I knew I had to  "Bern this F1 wasn't Leahanne Faulkner was it?" When I got the response I knew was coming I explained about our short-lived as relationship and how she'd vowed to get even with me. I thought that that would be it game over again with her even before we'd had a chance to try again.

 She took a long sip of her scotch, called over the waiter and ordered drinks for us, looked at me. "like I said I was prepared to forgive her for that and she couldn't forgive herself, I hurt you but you forgave me. What I'm trying to say, Alex, can we try again and would, could you trust me can we try again? I know it might not be easy cause Cameron is working at Holby, and Serena has been mentoring him, but he mainly works with Jac Naylor now.”

I shook my head

" it's okay I understand, " she said quietly. 

This time it was her turn to look away I placed my hands on her face and gently made her look at me, "Bernice Griselda Wolfe, you bloody fool, of course, I want to try again, I never really stopped loving you but only one condition," I paused. She looked at me again with tears running down her gorgeous face, " anything"

“Thank you, if its only to see Serena if I have to meetings and the such like yes I can do that we'll have to officially tell her that I'm, we're back and together.” she rummaged about in her tote back and held out a small piece of clothe. “its a commitment ring, its proof of my commitment to you now what's this condition.”

I held out my left hand and it was a perfect fit, I took a long sip of my drink and tried to be as serious as I could.

I took a deep breath "I get to choose the slippers".

Bernie held out her hand and with a serious look on her face, but a smile in her eyes.

She kissed our ring and grinned, “Deal”.

I shivered I'd forgotten how cold it could be back in Blighty and that all was a couple of months ago, and we'd met Cameron and Charlotte, who weren't 100% happy but understood that we wanted to be together, and I had promised them I wouldn't hurt their mum, as to Serena how that will go well time will tell I guess, but she does know about Bernie and Me. I took one last drag, threw the cigarette on the floor and went in to start my shift, knowing that Bernie was her turn to cook the evening meal.

**Author's Note:**

> As you know I prefer writing about Alex and Bernie being together, and I'm slightly dreading Alex coming back without Bernie, I'd like to think that the idiots in charge won't shoot themselves in their collective feet by putting Alex and Serena together or even killing Bernie off, yes I know I did. personally, I think it might be something to do with Leah, well I can hope they can tie up some very loose ends where she's concerned.


End file.
